Registering counter



Oct. Z0, 1925. 1,558,287

c. H. H. RODANET REGI STERING COUNTER Filed Jan. 4, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 20, l925- 1,558,287 c. H. H. RODANET REGISTERING COUNTER Filed Jan. 4, 1924 2 lSheets-Sheet 2 0. 1r. 11. Begane t 30 .larly Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES HILAIRE HENRI RonANET, oF rARIs, FRANoE, AssIGNoR 'ro SOCIT ANONYME: ETABLISsEMEN'rS En. JAEGER, or PARIS, FRANCE.

BEGISTEBING COUNTER.

Application led January 4, 19M. Serial No. 684,425.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HILAIRE HENRI RonANE'r, a vcitizen of the French Republic, residing at Paris, France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Registering Counters, of which the following is. the specification.

It has'already been proposed to devise registering revolution counters in which the drums carrying the digits are mounted with slight friction on the driving shaft actuated by the mechanism the number of revolutions of which is to be evaluated and registered. Normally, the drums are immobilized owin to their engagement with a system of a utmentsythese abutments being withdrawn for allowing the shaft to actuate the drums each time a new unit, ten, etc., must be re istered. These mechanisms do not allow, owever, to easily effect the setting back to zero and usually it is first necessar to align the drums at the digit nine an then, by means of another o eration, to definitively bringI them bac to zero. v

The present invention has for its object improvements in the construction of registering counters of the above mentioned type, these improvements bein more particuadapted to mechanicall obtain the setting back to zero of the ruins of the register (and optionally that of the totalizer when the apparatus is providedwith a totalizer) .f In these conditions, it is possible to effect the trials of the counter and to alignk the drums at zero condition which, actually, cannot be practicall obtained with fthe. existing apparatus. 'lyhese Nimprovements are more articularly characterized 40 in that the di it rums,'which are mounted with slight friction'n on the driving shaft and.

which tend to.-,be rotated by friction surfaces rigid with the 1atter,-'are provided, on one of their side faces, .with a ratchet having ten teeth, whilst the other face has only one tooth; an abutment member, constituted by a ring, which is interposed between the conti ous drums and has a transverse pin combining y)Niththeir res ective teeth, acting, in combination with igieratehet having ',tenteeth, for immobilizi the corresponding drum; the release of t-e latter and its actuation by. the shaftQbein obtained when the pin ofg; @herman yby the' single tooth of the drum, releases the ratchet having ten teeth belonging to the following drum which registers the units of higher order.

The improvements are also characterized in that, owing to the above mentioned means, it is possible to automatically set back to zero all the digit drums. This result is obtained by actuating the driving shaft in reverse direction to its direction of normal rotation so that the pins of the abutment rings may be disengaged from the ratchets having ten teeth, but, on the contrary, loclr themselves on the dank, of the single corresponding tooth, directed in reverse direc tion to the teeth of the ratchet; this locking corresponds to the stoppage of the drum in the position zero.. The invention also relates to a` means which allows to obtain, owing to a single driving member, first the separation between the driving shaft and the mechanism which normally actuates it, then the rotation of the said shaft in reverse direction to the normal direction of rotation.

In the accompanying drawings and by' way of example: 4

Figs. l and 2 are top and underside per spective views of a totalizing registeringv counter devised.

Fig. 3 illustrates the digit drum. M

Figs. 4 and 5 show the abutment of the drum and one of the friction discs respectively. A c

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate respectively the two sidefaces of a two corresponding faces of 'two continguous drums in ino erative period.

Fi si. 8 an 9 are corresponding views at the time of the. transfer ofanunit from one of. the drums to the contiguous one representing units of immediately higher'order;

Although the description which will follow applies to a'registerin counter with a. totalizer, it is obvious t at the means,

Aforming the subject-matter of the invention,

would also a ply to a counterwhich is not provided wit A a totaliz'er.v Moreover, the tting up of the digit drums and the method of operation are the same for both register inmechanisms. n p

ssentially, the digit drums 1 carry on one of their side faces la ratchet 2 having ten teeth and on the other face a circular race 3 having a single tooth 4 (Fig. 3). This tooth 4, in the example shown, corresponds to the digit 6, but this obviously results only from constructional considerations and it might correspond to any other indication of the drum. It is however necessary that it should exactly correspond to one of the teeth of the ratchet 2 rovided onv the other face; the inclinations ing directed in reverse direction, as shown in Fig. 3.

The drums 1 are mounted side by side on the driving shaft 5 so that one of the faces carrying t e ten teeth ratchet 2 of a drum is arranged against the face of the conti ous drum carrying the single tooth 4. utween the hubs of the drums are interposed friction discs 6 (Fig. 5) having a V-shaped heel piece 7 which fits in a longitudinal groove, of corresponding cross section, of shaft 5. Concentric with this dise 6, is arranged a ring 9 (Fi 4) the faces of which rub on ratchets of t e drums 1. This ring 9 carries a transverse pin 10 which can simultaneously engage with the teeth of the corres onding drums. It is provided with a tail piece 11 which can rock about an axis 14 about which all the rings 9 are thus pivoted. Springs 12 are attached, on the one hand, to the tail pieces 11, and, on the other hand, to another fixed axis 13 (Fi 2).

The operation of the transfer o? the units is the following:

The driving shaft5 receives its movement from the exterior and rotates in a continuous manner, but the drums 1 are stopped since the pins 10 of the rings 9, under the action of the springs 12, fit between the teeth 2 of the ten teeth ratchet provided on t'he Vsaid drums. If we consider one of the drums, it will be seen that, at the time the latter reaches the digit 9 and at the time where, consequently, the transfer must be e'ected (that is to say the advance to the extent of one digit of the adjacent drum representing the units of higher order) the .I single tooth 4 of the drum considered comes in contact with the pin 10 carried by the corres onding ring9. While the drum considere reaches the zero, the pin 10 asses therefore beyond the tooth 4 (Fig. 8)7 and simultaneously moves away from the teeth of the ten teeth ratchet 2 rovided on the drum of the higher units ig. 9).

The latter becoming free is driven by the driving shaft 5 owing to the friction exerted between the disc 6 and the corres nding face of the hub of the drum. Wlhan the drums have terminated their tenth of a revolution, the tooth 4 moves away from the 1n 10 of the ring 9 which automatically alls back, under the action of its spring 12 T e pin 10 comes again in engagement withv the ten teeth ratchet 2 and stops the actuating movement of the drum which has thus registered a unit (Fig. 7). The same action is repeated when the first drum oonsidcred has again effected a revolution.

In the example illustrated, the register and the totalizer are devised in a similar manner andare arranged on parallel driving shafts 5.

The actua-tion of the counter is effected, as illustrated, by the worm 15 which receives the external drive and actuates the wheel 16. This wheel 16 drives a disc having only one tooth as the drums 1 and by means of a ring, such as 9, drives the first drum to the extent of one division at eachA complete revolution of the wheel 16 and of the corresponding cam-disc. The other drums are arranged and o crate as above described. A-sprmg placedP at the shaft end takes a bearing on the frame and holds the drums 1 pressed against each other.

An intermediate pinion 18 allows to transmit the movement from the wheel 16 to the wheel 19 which actuates the register.

The first drum of the latter 1s constantly driven by friction and its single tooth 4 combines with a ring 9 interposed between it and the following drum so as to act as described for 'thetransfen The single tooth 4 of the last drum combines with a circular disc 20 mounted on the shaft and on the ledge of which slides the pin 10 of the ring 9 ada ted to constitute a stop for the setting bac to zero.

A spring, also arranged at the shaft end holds the drums a ainst each other.

For the setting ack to zero, a particular control has been provided which allows to break the connection existing between the shaft of the totalizer (that is to say between the external driving system) and the Shaft of the re ister; this control being moreover so devise that it is possible to automatically bring back the drums of the register to zero.

For that purpose, the shaft 21 which carries the intermediate pinion 18 can be longitudinally moved against the action of clutch spring 22. This result is obtained by angularly moving a pivoting square an. arm 23 of which forms an incline for exerting a thrust upon the end of the shaft 21. A spring 24 acts on the square so as to tend to disengage the shaft 21. The other arm of this pivoting member forms a paddle or blade 25. The latter is placed under a vertical shaft 26 provided with an operating knob 27 and capable of receiving longitudinal dis lacements and rotations about its axis. is shaft 26 carries a pinion 28 which can ar with another pinion 29, mounted on t e driving shaft 5 of the drums 1 of the register.

Normally, the spring 24 acts upon the plvotin 21, so t at the intermediate pinion 18 can gear with the pinions 16-19 of the two square for disengaging the shaft lli) shafts driving the drums 1. Simultaneously, the vertical shaft 26 is lifted and its pinion 28 is held out of engagement with the 'pinion 29 of the driving shaft.

` For the settin back to zero, it suffices therefore to push on the milled knob 27 and to cause it to rotate. rEhe translation releases the intermediate pinion 18 by pushing back the rocking square and the shaft 21 and by throwing the pinions 28-29 1n ear; -the rotation permits to actuate the driving shaft. The drums 1 which are driven byl friction in reverse direction to their normal displacement automatically stop by the abutting of the flank of their single tooth 4 against the pin 10 of the corresponding ring 9; the ten teeth ratchets 2 -rotating in reverse direction to their normal rotation do not prevent this displacement.

It is therefore possible with one hand only, without fumbling, and even in the Vdark to set back the register to zero.

For the totalizer, no control is provided for the setting back to zero, as this 1s practically unnecessary. The setting back to zero of the totalizer is effected without taking the mechanism to pieces by actuating each disc separately by movement ofpressure and rotation on the edge. What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a registering counter, juxtaposed dij/git drums adapted to be frictionally operated, a ratchet on one of the drums, the.

ated, a ratchet on one of the drums, the' other drums being provided with a circular race, a tooth projectingv from said circular race, rings` engaging freely between the circular race of one of the digit drums and the ratchet of the adjacent digit drum, a pin traversing each of said rings to cooperate at its ends on the one hand with the circular race and the tooth of the drum, and on the other hand with theteeth of the ratchet of the adjacent drum.

3. In a registering counter, juxtaposed digit drums adapted to be frictionally operated, a ratchet on one of the drums the other drums being provided with a circular race, a tooth projecting from said circula-r race, rings engaging freely between the circular race of one of the digit drums and the ratchet of the adjacent digit drum, a pin traversing each of said rings to cooperate at its ends on the one hand with the circular race and the tooth of the drum and on the other hand with the teeth of the ratchet of the adjacentl drum, and means to permit said rings to move resilient with respect to the circular path of the corresponding digit drum.

4. In a registering counter, juxtaposed digit drums adapted to be frictionally operated, a ratchet on one of the drums, the other drums being provided with a circular race, a tooth projecting from said circular race, rings engaging freely between the circular race of one of the digit drums and the ratchet of the adjacent digit drum, a pin traversing each of said rings to cooperate at its ends on the one hand with the circular race and the tooth of the drum and on the other hand with the teeth of the ratchet of the adjacent drum, apertured extensions integral with each of saidrings, an axis traversing the extensions toV permit them to move angularly, springs engaged in the apertures of the rings, and an-axis parallel `to the oscillating axis of the rings to effect the fixation of the other ends of the springs. In testimony whereof I have signed my vname to this specification.

CHARLES HILAIRE HENRI RODANET. 

